bonehead2

On a 94 where do I connect all the coolant hoses?. This vette motor has been put in an El Camino and I need help with the hose routing, especially the radiator hoses and the little tee fittings. Any pictures/explanations would be very appreciated.

bonehead2

Maybe just a good picture of one of your guys engines would do, please.

bonehead2

Anyone?

bonehead2

^

rodj

Don't own a LT1 but the 2 under the throttle body just cap off unless you drive in very cold cond.Are there to run hot water to TB to stop butterflies freezing up.

theadmiral94

Sorry, can't scan the manual's (FSM 6B-4) picture right now (scanner is down). However, maybe I can explain it verbally...

Radiator is a cross-flow, with input on top driver side, and output on bottom passenger side.

Note the LT1 engine is a reverse coolant flow.

Therefore, the radiator lower passenger side is connected to the top of the water pump/thermostat housing.

The output of the water pump (driver side just a bit below the thermostat) connects to a 'T' and then straight through/onward to the upper radiator driver side connection.

Also connected to the above 'T' is the driver side of the throttle-body. the diagram shows the direction of the coolant flow through this hose to go from the 'T' towards the throttle-body (makes sense of sorts as it is to warm the throttle-body).

On the passenger side of the throttle-body, the hose connects to a 'T', which runs between the lower large connection of the surge (black pressure) tank and a passenger side connection on the water pump (a bit behind and below the thermostat housing). The flow of coolant is from the throttle-body to the 'T', and from the surge tank through the same 'T' towards the water-pump.

The Heater-core upper connection is connected to the surge (pressure) tank larger connection.

The water pump front/lower passenger side connection is connected through a pressure-regulating plastic valve to the heater-core lower connection.

The small passenger side radiator connection is attached to via combo rubber/metal hoses to a metal 'T', to which the metal 'vapor' pipes from the back of both heads area also connected. The other end of this 'T' runs to the lower small hose connection on the surge tank, just a bit below the radiator cap's lower lip.

Lastly, the surge tank's upper small hose connection at/near the radiator cap is connected to the overflow tank (on LT1 Vettes, this is forward near the passenger side front bumper).



The 'vapor' pipes (metal pipes from rear of both heads to metal 't',

bonehead2

Thanks for the replies so far. Unfortunately this lt1(not the one in the picture) has been put in an 83 El Camino and I have no tees or valves or pressure tanks or hoses.Is there a way to operate this engine without all the tees etc for now. I just need to try and start the engine. I am concerned about the vapor metal lines and how to hook them up if I don't use all the tees etc. Like rodj says, can I cap off some of the connections safely?.Can we take this one connection at a time,that way it won't be so confusing maybe. Can we start with the upper, top rad drivers side hose and everything used(tees etc) and where they go. Then I'll move on to the bottom hose,pass lower rad. I have been trying to figure this out for a very long time and maybe with you guys help we can finally connect some hoses. Thanks again for your help.

MikeC4

There are 2 "T" fittings on the '94 LT1, each of which attach to the Throttle body:

Here's a pic of my '94 showing the "T" fitting :


Right side of engine:


Right side of engine, different angle(you can see the other "T" fitting here):


Here is a view from the top(not sure of how useful this one is):

bonehead2

Thanks Mike.

MikeC4

forget this pic, as i goofed and this is from Camaro. Take a look at the pics from my '94 above.

MikeC4

You can get rid of the 2 "T"' connections on the '94 by replacing the OEM hoses with the following. Just cap off the inlet and outlet coolant ports on the throttle body. Makes routing simpler, and this TB bypass is performed by many folks.

bonehead2

Thanks Mike for all your help so far.Because of you I am starting to fiqure it out. One thing is troublesome though. The 3rd pic down shows a tee with the heater hose going over to the throttle body h/hose connection.I don't have that connection I believe on my throttle body for a heater hose. I have a large port near the top but the PO has a 1/2'' hose from that going to the pcv valve.Maybe that large port should be for water instead of vacuum. Have been searching for a good throttle body pic and description to no avail so far.Thanks again for going to the trouble for me.

94z07fx3

Whoa... The TB should not be connected to the PCV. The PCV valve should be on the driver side and connect directly to the intake and through a very small hose with 180 degree bend to the intake about two inches behind the PCV valve.

There is an air hose on the passneger side that runs from the TB to the passenger side valve cover to provide the crank case with air. But this line should have no valve in it.

There should be on the bottom of the TB and on both sides a coolant connection. As stated above leave them disconnected and cap them to make pretty but no mechanical need to cap them.

If you "just want to start this engine" then run the thermostat housing radiator hose outlet to the bottom of your radiator. Run the other radiator hose outlet to the top of your radiator. Using generic heater hose make a loop out of the heater hose outlets on the pump. If you do this then there should be no open coonant hoses or outlets. You will need a 15-16 PSI radiator cap and a radiator filler neck with integrated overflow line to an overflow that is vented to the air and has its line below the normal level inside the overflow so that when the engine cools it will suck the coolant back into the radiator.

If your engine runs ok and you then want to make the heater work, remember that the driver side of the water pump is the out side so that line would go to the heater control valve while the passneger side is the in side and its line would go to the heater core return outlet.

bonehead2

Thanks for your help. I am starting to get this, I think. So the only water connected to the intake are the two small fittings under the throttle body and these I can bypass, correct?. But I DO have to hook up the steam pipe when I bypass the throttle body correct. If I use a 95 top hose that has no extra small water hose made on it where will the steam pipe water come from?. Boy, I think I"m going backwards.

MikeC4

You have to use the '95 upper rad. hose(eliminates driver side "T") in conjunction with the '95 lower surge tank to WP hose(eliminates passenger side "T").

MikeC4

Here is a better labeled pic :

bonehead2

I scribbled on your nice picture The steel pipe, steam pipe needs to hook to something.What if I bypass both throttle body connections and just tee the steam pipe into a heater hose. Damn I don't know.You live in Texas and I in Maryland, you could be here in a couple of hours, I'm buyin!!!.




Is it noon yet?

theadmiral94

For just a quick connect, that might work (remember the flow is out of the steam-pipes, so if would need to go into the suction/input side of a heater-hose circuit).

However, for long term -- the steam pipes MUST connect to a air scavenging location (i.e. surge tank/radiator). Reason is that air WILL be coming out of the steam pipes -- if that air is redirected back into the engine, that would not be good --- hence why on the Corvette, it is 'T' to the line from the top passenger side of the radiator and then directly into the 'surge' tank (where there is a spot for the 'air' to get trapped and re-condensed into water).